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Unai Emery makes feelings clear on Matty Cash with 'best player' remark
Unai Emery insists Matty Cash is an important player in the structure he has implemented at Aston Villa.
The right-back has overcome different injuries at the start of the season, but has started in eight of the nine league games he has been fit for, including Villa's last two against Chelsea and Brentford after making his Champions League debut against Juventus last week.
Villa hosted Brentford on Wednesday in search of their first win for six weeks and Cash put them 3-0 up in the first half, before Mikel Damsgaard reduced the deficit after the break. Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of facing Southampton, Emery spoke of Cash's importance in the team.
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"Matty Cash is a very important player for us," the Villa manager said. "We always have to be careful with him because he has had some small injuries.
"His qualities are his speed - he is a very fast player who plays with a lot of intensity in each match. Now, with the way we play, Cash is one of the key players for us.
"We have tried to add other players to compete with him like Kosta Nedeljkovic and Ezri Konsa has helped us on the right side too, defensively and offensively. But the best player we have there to defend and attack on this side is Cash."
Cash made his 130th Premier League appearance for Villa in midweek and is expected to start his third successive league game today for the second time this season.
“It was good to get a win after a bad run of results,” he said on Villa TV. “We’d played well in some games but not got the results we’d wanted, so Wednesday was all about getting a result and a decent performance.
“It’s been a while, over a year since I last go on the scoresheet. I want to try and do it as many times as I can and be involved higher up the pitch because that’s where I enjoy being as well as defending.”
He added: “It’s obviously annoying to pick up little injuries, but now I’m feeling good in my body and stronger. Sometimes you’re unlucky to get a little injury when you don’t expect it. For me, it’s about being consistent and trying to stay fit and available for as many games as I can.
“The most important things is being available and being fit. I feel really good at the moment and long may it continue.”
